Don’t look now but it seems that another area of concern tied up with the problem of sleep apnea seems to be that of deafness or hearing loss. The discovery was courtesy of a study from Japan, wherein sudden deafness was more likely traced to that of a previous diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Hence, it is advisable to have yourself checked for sleep apnea just in case you incur such sudden hearing losses. The bad part about it is on determining if sleep apnea treatment can also address the deafness issue.

It may be possible that sleep apnea, which is known to increase the buildup of plaque in blood vessels, could affect vessels in areas of the brain that control hearing, or vessels that feed the nerves responsible for hearing.

But it looks like the study needs more evidence to support the claim. Just the same, it would be best to go to a specialist to determine if deafness and sleep apnea are indeed tied up.

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To help track your sleep issues better, here is another health-inspired device that should help in the diagnosis of sleep issues. This is the Jawbone UP, a wrist-worn sensor bracelet that aims to help track movement and sleep patterns with the aid of a special app.

The bracelet comes with an array of sensors that may include an accelerometer along with a battery inside the water-proofed housing. They come in blue and pink color schemes and can be connected through an iPhone.

The app works by monitoring a person’s movement and then works with an open platform. Somewhat similar to some gadgets from Nike, the Jawbone UP will be out later this year with prices and actual launch date yet to be made official.

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For the sleepers and techies, here is a device that should be something for you. This is the Lark Silent Un-Alarm Clock and Sleep sensor, something that aims to analyze your sleep, wake you up on the right side of bed and even charge your Apple devices.

All you have to do is set an alarm and hit the rug. You’ll be awoken by a gentle vibration on your wrist. That’s another way of ensuring you do not wake the rest of the family up with your annoying alarm. The wristband records sleep patterns to help in potential diagnosis when needed by sleep specialists.

The Un-Alarm Clock and Sleep Sensor can be yours for only $129.

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Diagnosing sleep problems can be done with various sleep-monitoring gadgets but for the business sector, here is one device that promises to check if their employees are sleep-deprived or otherwise over fatigues.

The device is called the ReadiBand wrist-worn sleep monitoring device, the first solution said to produce medical-grade results in determining results of sleep quality, quantity and timing but at a fraction of the cost of an overnight stay in a specialist sleep clinic.

The device is being used by major international companies as we speak, to monitor fatigue and optimize operational safety. It is worn continuously like a wristwatch and runs on rechargeable batteries. It makes use of a series of algorithms to measure sleep quality from a user’s wrist movements, technically termed ‘actigraphy’.

Collected data is then wirelessly downloaded to a computer for analysis using the Nordic 2.4GHz ANT transceivers while the user is still wearing the ReadiBand after which the information is processed through a specialized performance prediction model.

And the final word is of course the diagnosis and taking on pre-emptive measures to help improve employee health and ultimately, work performance.

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Rather than rely on sleeping pills, it seems that jogging is a better way to get some well-deserved and healthy shuteye. This is thanks to a new research which shows that 20 to 45 minutes of exercise can help you get to “LALA land” faster and safer.

Tests on insomnia sufferers found that gentle aerobic exercise cured their condition. They showed that regular aerobic exercise improved the quality of sleep, mood and vitality.

The study is said to be the first to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on middle-aged and older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia.

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Rather than leave the walls of your home, it seems that there is little difference for people who want to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. This was the conclusion arrived at by researchers from the University of Saksatchewan, SK and Canada for OSA treatments on patients performed at home and sleep labs.

The comparison variables included sleepiness, sleep quality, quality of life, blood pressure, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence on more than 100 patients. After four weeks of study, there were no significant differences between variables at home and at the sleep laboratory.

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Apparently race has a bearing on how a sleep disorder characteristic attacks. Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS has been found to hit Africa-American women more based on a study presented at CHEST 2009. While the study may have shown how ethnic origin plays a role on this issue, exact causes were unknown. Women were found to be more iron deficient and have rheumatoid arthritis which were risk factors associated with RLS.

“Restless legs syndrome is a common sleep disorder that may not be easily recognized by patients and clinicians,” said Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. “Educating clinicians and patients about the signs and symptoms of RLS may raise awareness about this overlooked condition and lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.”

(Source) Press

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It is time to stop snoring! Apparently this is the best tagline we can give to SnoreMeds for its new product to combat snoring issues, the Stop Snoring Mouthpiece.

Sleep plays a vital role in our daily lives and many Americans don’t get enough of it. But it’s not always late nights and early rising that’s the true culprit – it’s snoring, or a more serious medical condition called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially life threatening disorder because the patient stops breathing in their sleep. Some individuals though are snorers who never suffer from the graver condition. Either way, when someone suffers from snoring, they never feel fully rested.

You can get the Snoring Mouthpiece from SnoreMeds on Amazon for $31.95 here.

“Professionals in healthcare are usually in their field because they want to help people,” says Hernandez. “If the diagnosis is only snoring then spending $3,000 on a anti-snoring mouthpiece means some of their patients go untreated. But now they have a place they can refer patients to who can’t afford high-end snoring devices. They offer real relief, and at a price their patients can afford.”

(Source) PR Web

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Apparently, one of the hard problems we have to deal with today is properly. Unless you are a sleep expert, chances are you may already have a serious sleep disorder but are still in denial. Sleep problems exist today and it really does not hurt to find out if you are indeed suffering from a sleep disorder. Improper diagnosis may eventually lead you to serious problems that you think.

Just bear these things in mind:

(Source) Helpguide.org

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